Except for a handful of teams playing those so-called provisional games in early November, as well as the four teams that still line up for their traditional Thanksgiving morning game – and the fortunate few who’ll head off to greener pastures, or the turf for the postseason playoffs — the high school football season, as most know it nowadays, has essentially reached the halfway mark.

The first half revealed little, if anything, most of us didn’t anticipate from the get-go.

Pottsgrove and Spring-Ford were going to be at the head of the class, and they are. Both have been as good as expected (and the Falcons, without question, get the nod for being better at this juncture because of their shutout of the Rams last weekend). Perkiomen Valley has improved from the blip on the preseason radar screen to a legitimate contender for a Pioneer Athletic Conference title and/or berth in the district playoffs.

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Phoenixville has performed a wee bit better than some thought it would, and could make up for that hiccup over at Bucktown a couple of weeks ago with a win tonight at Perkiomen Valley.

Methacton and Owen J. Roberts have reversed their early stumbles with a pair of wins each, taking momentum — and confidence — into the second half. Pottstown has put together one of the area’s most productive offenses, and also one of the area’s most generous defenses. Almost the same can be said about Boyertown and for Pope John Paul II, whose woes have been compounded by injury after injury (sidelining upwards of seven starters, most of whom line up on both sides of the ball). Even Upper Perkiomen has been hurt by injuries up and down its very young and very inexperienced lineup, which doesn’t bode well at all when trying to learn a new system and adapt to a new coach.

So what is there to expect in the second half?

As far as the PAC-10, the title will be decided when Perkiomen Valley finishes up the final two weeks of the regular season with games against Pottsgrove and Spring-Ford. There’s a possibility of a three-way tie (doubt it, considering there’s only been one in the league’s 26 previous seasons). A two-way tie (not too sure of that, either)? So that leaves an outright champion (most likely, barring anymore injuries).

And speaking of injuries…

They’ve been piling up much like the yardage and points have week after week after week.

No one, perhaps, has been hit as hard as Pope John Paul II. No one would snicker at head coach Mike Santillo if he arranged for a M.A.S.H. unit at every PAC-10 location, either. The Golden Panthers have thus far (and enough already) lost quarterback James Bleming for the year with a broken collarbone, and six others for rather long stretches – including one who hasn’t stepped foot on any field yet. That is a long list that gets even longer when realizing most of the PJP injured are two-way starters.

Methacton, along with Owen J. Roberts, had a handful of walking wounded early on, which certainly contributed to their slow starts, and Boyertown hasn’t been injury-free up and down its lineup for any stretch. Phoenixville, Pottsgrove and Pottstown have had their share of aches and pains; Spring-Ford has had to go the last two weeks (and maybe another 2-6 weeks) without its best running back; and Upper Perkiomen, as if it can afford to lose anyone, just lost a senior leader — a starting two-way lineman — for the season.

‘Ouch’ wouldn’t seem to be the right word to cover the first-half ailments.

And ‘wow’ wouldn’t seem to cover the amount of yards and points being put up in the PAC-10, either.

In one game alone — when Pottstown visited Boyertown — the league record for total yards in a game by one team and total yards combined in a game were obliterated. The 98 points the Trojans and Bears combined for also tied a record that was set back in 1987. Two Fridays ago, Perkiomen Valley scored the most points in a game in the history of its program.

No Pioneer Athletic Conference season produced as many yards or points through 18 league games as this season has, yet no one — individual or team — is on pace to set any noticeable new single-season records (with the possible exception of yards allowed and points allowed).

Not surprising there’s only been one shutout … but that one was last weekend between the league’s top two offenses. But Pottsgrove blanked Spring-Ford in a game most said would likely be and up-and-down the field scoring marathon.

Go figure (and get a calculator to do it).

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Some additional first-half thoughts (and only first half for now):

Comeback Player of the Year would be Pottsgrove’s Mark Dukes, who lost nearly half of his junior year to a broken ankle, has come back to average 8.6 yards a carry (481 yards overall) and score an area-high 72 points. … It would be easy to give the Offensive Player of the Year honor to quarterback Tory Hudgins, Dukes’ backfield mate. But don’t overlook Pottstown quarterback Sage Reinhart, who has thrown for 1,022 yards and 10 touchdowns – both area-highs. … Defensive Player of the Year would be Phoenixville linebacker Ryan Pannella. … Player of the Year, despite missing a game due to injury, is Perkiomen Valley quarterback Rasaan Stewart.

In other matters… three area teams (Daniel Boone, Hill School and Upper Perkiomen) are still seeking their first wins of the season. The Blazers and Rams both have games today against winless opponents, and the Indians hope to begin a turnaround much like OJR did a few weeks ago when they visit those Wildcats in Bucktown tonight.

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Don Seeley is the sports editor of The Mercury. His high school football column appears Tuesdays and Fridays through Thanksgiving. He can be reached at dseeley@pottstmerc.com.